


North Carolina Barbecue

by Caedmon



Series: Healing 'verse [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Beach music, F/M, Festivals, Fluff, North Carolina, Shagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8287222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caedmon/pseuds/Caedmon
Summary: The Doctor, Rose, Jack, Moppet and Smidgen attend a festival to learn more about alien culture - the rural south of the United States.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> This fic was written for the TimePetalsPrompt last year, "Fall Festivals." I ended up scrapping it (for reasons I can't remember), but it sat in my docs for a year. When this week's prompt was "Fall Outdoor Activities", and because people have been asking for more of Kintsugi, I edited it to include Jack and the girls. 
> 
> This all takes place about thirty minutes from my house. The Doctor and Rose have obviously never been there, but all of the activities, food, drinks and other details of the festival are accurate. The line in Sweet Home Alabama where Reese Witherspoon says "People need a passport to come here"... Well, maybe you'll see why. 
> 
> Basically, I wanted to give you a little slice of my home, and do it with the Doctor and Rose. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Beta'd by crazygirlne and tenroseforeverandever who caught a _multitude_ of mistakes. That said, all of the remaining mistakes are mine.  
>  Kudos and comments feed the muse, and I thank you for them.  
> Come talk to me! Send me prompts! caedmonfaith.tumblr.com

Rose stepped out of the Tardis, a bright smile plastered on her face and Ella strapped to her chest in a pink wrap. She shivered. It was chilly… Of course, it _was_ the beginning of March, she supposed. She had just expected Louisiana to be much warmer. Regardless, she was sure that once the Doctor and Jack came out to join her and they got involved in the festivities, she wouldn’t notice the temperature anyway. All in all, it promised to be the most fun day they’d had in a while. He’d _promised_ her a complete lack of life-threatening aliens today, owing to the babies’ presence and her desire to do something fun.

The Doctor had parked on a side street, out of the way, but there were still flurries of activity all around, and on the street immediately to her right and about fifty feet away, there was clearly some sort of large celebration going on. It certainly _smelled_ like a celebration, she thought, taking a deep sniff. Something smelled delicious. But… why were there pig balloons flying, and round balloons creating arches? And… did that banner say “North Carolina”?

“Doctor?” she called out to him over her shoulder, bouncing Ella.

“Yes, Rose?”

“We were goin’ to Mardi Gras, right?”

“That’s right!”

“I think you may have missed.”

The Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS and looked around the alley, turning his gaze toward the main street and squinting. “Ah. Looks like I did.” He stepped back into the Tardis, and Jack stepped out, pushing a pram with Ginny in it. 

“Tell the Doctor to grab extra blankets, will you? The pink ones with the little apes will be fine.”

Jack relayed the message, stepping away from the baby for only half a second, and Rose turned back to the festival when he returned. Young couples walked hand-in-hand carrying food on sticks, and older couples who had outgrown the need to touch all of the time carried food in small paper trays. Children ran amok while anxious parents tried to keep them close, the kids carrying balloons and sporting painted faces, smiling up at parents, some of them with a sweet treat. Rose rubbed her hand on Smidgen’s back gently, protectively. Thankfully, the babies weren’t old enough to worry about them running off or anything like that, and besides, they had three adults watching out for them at all times. 

The Doctor came all the way out of the Tardis with the requested pink blankets and a brown-and-pink diaper bag slung over his shoulder. He shut the door behind him, locking it, then looked around. “Looks like a party, Rose! Could be a good time. Shall we have a look around?”

Jack nodded. “I think we should. Looks fun.”

“I don’t know, Doctor. There’s so many people…”

“You worry too much. We’ll wear Smidgen and Moppet until they tire of it, then walk them in the pram. They’ll never be out of our sight.” The Doctor hung the diaper bag on the back of the pram and stepped up to Rose. He offered her his hand and a smile, the one with the almost-imperceptible wink that he knew was practically a Rose-melting weapon, and she rolled her eyes in defeat. 

“Oh, go on then.” She took his hand. He grinned brightly, and she poked him in the pinstriped chest with mock sternness. “But I’m telling you, mister, if we encounter one bloody alien or man-eating mold or… I don’t even know what, we’re calling this a fixed point and we’re getting out of here. And to make up for it, we’ll be spending a week at Mum’s and you’re taking me to a spa. Got that?” 

She was sure that her smile would have given away her lack of sincerity even if he hadn’t already known her well enough to know she’d never leave people in peril, but he grinned at her anyway. “Your wish is my command as always, Rose Tyler.” He raised her knuckles to his lips and kissed them.

“Geez, Rosie, why punish all of us?”

Ella let out a little giggle, and Rose reached into the diaper bag to grab the girls’ little hats and put them on. “S’not punishment.”

The Doctor groaned. “Yes, it is. A week at your mother’s?”

“S’consequences, Doctor. Are we agreed?” He muttered an answer, and Rose grinned. “Good.”

“I’m wearing Moppet,” Jack announced, stepping around the pram and pulling the cooing baby out, then reaching under the pram to get the wrap. “I’ll wear her front-facing so she can see everything.”

“Oh, no,” the Doctor waved his hands. “You’re not using my daughter to pull women. Or men.”

Jack looked wounded. “As if I would do such a thing.” Both the Doctor and Rose gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes. “That was _one time_ , and I promised not to do it again.”

“Let him take her, Doctor. At some point today, we’ll all wear them, so we probably don’t need to push them.”

“S’pose that’s true. Reckon we don’t need the pram, then,” he said brightly, then took Moppet from Jack, who walked back to the Tardis and parked the pram inside. When Jack was done, he returned to Rose so she could set about tying the wrap on him in the complicated fashion that made it safe to carry a little one in. Ginny reached up to grab her daddy’s nose, and the Doctor beamed at her. 

Once Jack had the wrap securely tied, the Doctor set about putting her in -- front-facing, as Jack had suggested, so that she could see everything going on around them. Finally satisfied that his daughter was secure in the wrap on her uncle, he stepped back to Rose and situated Smidgen so that she was also front-facing, then took Rose’s hand.

“C’mon, you lot. let’s go explore.”

~*~O~*~

The Doctor stopped when they reached the intersection and took in the sight with wonder, trying to place himself (which happened a bit more often than he would like, admittedly, but was a bit of a thrill sometimes, and he certainly liked the challenge).

This was clearly Earth, early 21st century by the looks of it. So he’d gotten at least that bit right, he thought with just a tiny touch of pride. Humans swarmed all over, milling around pop-up tents where crafters and artisans had set up to sell their wares. Some people were wandering in and out of the open shops of the downtown area they were in. 

People, tents and the celebration extended up and down the slanted street for as far as the Doctor could see. Music filled the air, and he could tell that it was resounding from at least three places along the street and that there was at least one live band. His olfactory senses were overwhelmed… everything smelled like food. Not just food… _good_ food. Delicious food. The Doctor was suddenly very, _very_ hungry. 

One couple walked by with trays and he took a deep whiff…

“Barbecue, Rose! We’re at the Lexington Barbecue Festival. North Carolina. Oh, that’s _brilliant_! You’re gonna love it.” The Doctor was positively thrilled when he turned to Rose. “We are in for a treat. I’ve always wanted to come here.”

He tugged her, pulling her right into the flowing crowd of people excitedly, and Rose trotted behind him, stumbling a little. He caught her, helping to steady her while people made their way around them. Then he looked up to make sure that Jack was still nearby. 

“Doctor…”

“Right,” he ignored her attempts to get his attention. “It’s only nine in the morning, local time, so we have all day to see everything and eat all we can stuff in our mouths; that’s _perfect!_ Oh, Rose, this is going to be a wonderful day!”

“Doctor…”

He didn’t acknowledge her, just kept tugging her along. “I don’t even know where to begin! Maybe we should start down at the end and make a giant loop?” He looked behind him, as if he expected to be able to see better now that he was in the midst of the crowd than he had before he joined the queue. “Yes, that may be best. We’d get the full-”

“Doctor!” Rose said, exasperated. 

He turned his attention to her and took in her hand rubbing the baby’s back, her engagement ring twinkling in the morning sun. “Yes, Rose?”

“ _Where_ and _when_ are we, exactly? And are you sure that it’s safe for the babies?”

The Doctor gave her a patronizing look. “Now, Rose. Surely you’ve picked up on most of that. Earth, 21st century. Lexington Barbecue Festival.”

She returned his look with a withering one of her own. “Yes, thanks, I figured the first bit out and you said the second part. I want to know more specifically where and when we are, if you don’t mind.” He opened his mouth to answer her and she continued, “And I could look at a newspaper or flyer or something, but _someone_ keeps dragging us around and won’t let us stop.”

He looked a bit sheepish then, and sighed. “Fine. I don’t see any papers around”—he cast his eyes around the area to make sure that he wasn’t lying—“but I can narrow it down to late October and North Carolina, United States.”

Rose cut her eyes at him again, and Jack grabbed a flyer from a nearby table, looking at it closely. “Lexington Barbecue Festival, Lexington, North Carolina, October 24th, 2015.” He set the flyer back down and smiled at the lady whose tent he’d borrowed it from, who fluttered her lashes.

“Right,” Rose said, turning back to the Doctor. “Now, what’s so special about this festival?”

The little group of five had started back down the street, and the Doctor curled in on himself when he answered her, as if his coos of delight weren’t quite enough to convey his absolute excitement about what he was telling her. “Oh, Rose, you’ve never had North Carolina barbecue, have you? You’re in for such a treat! It’s the best in the world!”

Rose smiled; his enthusiasm was hard to ignore. “It can’t be that good.”

“It _is_ ,” Jack cut in, taking bouncing steps to keep Ginny soothed. “There’s somewhat of a dividing line that runs through North Carolina as to whether the sauce should be vinegar or tomato based.”

The Doctor nodded. “The proponents of vinegar-based sauces are generally located towards the coast and the tomato fans towards the mountains. It’s actually quite a bitter dispute.”

Rose curled her lip. “ _Vinegar?_ That sounds repulsive!”

“Only because you’ve never had it,” the Doctor said reasonably. “It’s actually very good. I’m hopeful that you’ll try both kinds today and judge for yourself. And, of course, you’ll have hushpuppies with both…”

“Hushpuppies?”

Jack let out a little moaning sound. “Oh, _Rose_ , you are in for _such_ a wonderful treat. Hushpuppies are little nuggets of corn meal, deep fried. Usually sweet. A delicacy in the southern United States, and they pair perfectly with barbecue.”

Rose just pursed her lips and nodded, quite sure that she’d never be talked into eating anything called a “hushpuppy.” 

“And then there are funnel cakes -- you’ll have to have strawberries on top, of course, as they’re your favorite -- and there’s roasted corn on sticks...”

“There’s _what_?”

“See?” He pointed to a couple walking by with the treat. “Roasted corn on sticks. And coleslaw! You may not like coleslaw, but that’s okay. It depends on who makes it, in my opinion.”

“The best coleslaw I ever had was here in North Carolina in the twentieth century,” Jack volunteered. “From a place called Stamey’s. Vinegar based with hot sauce.” He looked around, standing on his toes. “Wonder if Stamey’s has a truck here today?”

“Oh! And candy apples!” the Doctor burst out.

“I’ve had candy apples, ta.”

“Not like this, you haven’t. They’re huge, Rose, and dipped in chocolate or caramel, then other kinds of candy. These are _gourmet_ candy apples.”

Rose considered this for a moment. Gourmet candy apples. That was promising.

“And we haven’t even talked about the local flair! You’ll get to catch a glimpse of the rural south of the United States, the culture and people, their artisans and music… Just take a look!”

~*~O~*~

The Doctor tugged Rose over to a tent where a lady sat in a folding chair. She stood when they walked in, Jack following obediently, and smiled, saying hello in a soft, southern drawl. “Can I help y’all find anything?”

“No, ta,” the Doctor said. “Just browsing.”

Rose looked around the tent, peering at the quilts on racks and hanging from the ceiling, bouncing Ella a little. There were quilt squares in frames, quilted Christmas ornaments, all of them extremely intricate. She ran a finger along the pattern, admiring the colors. Some of the pieces of fabric were incredibly small, and Rose considered the time and dexterity it must have taken to create something so incredibly intricate, not to mention the planning of making sure everything was just right.

Another couple wandered into the tent, and the Doctor crowded over toward Rose while the crafter greeted the new folks. Jack stepped out into the crowd again, looking around. Rose scooted out of the tent, the Doctor following, slipping his arm around her waist and his free hand going to play with Ella’s toes under her sleep-and-play a little as they got back into the open air. 

“That was really fascinating,” Rose remarked.

“You can buy whatever you want. I grabbed some American currency before we came, and there should be plenty of room in the diaper bag to carry any purchases,” the Doctor suggested. 

“The diaper bag you’re carrying? The one you went all Time Lord-y on?”

He gave her a tiny scowl and Jack smirked. “I didn’t ‘ _go all Time Lord-y’ on it_ , thankyouverymuch. I just made it bigger on the inside. Jiggery pokery.”

“I know all about your jiggery pokery. You went all Time Lord-y on it.” She giggled when he scowled at her again. “You want to do some shopping today, Doctor?”

He shrugged. “Might do. I might see something I’m sure you simply cannot live without, or you may need to do some shopping for your mum for Christmas. Just never know, Rose Tyler. Besides that, this is North Carolina in the autumn. Mornings start out quite cold, but end up warm by the afternoon. You should probably have somewhere to put your jacket or the babies’ hats or blankets.”

“Alright then,” she said. “C’mon boys. I think I may be in the mood for some corn on a stick -- and _those_ are words I never thought I’d say!”

~*~O~*~

Rose Tyler had been to a lot of alien planets and seen a lot of cultures. She had always supposed that since America had been a colony of Great Britain, it followed that the two countries would be quite similar.

Apparently, that wasn’t the case. At the very least, the southern United States danced to their own drummer... just a bit.

Rose had never seen so much camouflage in her life, and it wasn’t even camouflage that you could use in most cases. First of all, not all of it was the traditional green, black and brown. There seemed to be pink and blue available in case you wanted to go into war in style, Rose assumed. Then there were fashion accessories: camouflage purses, camouflage bumper stickers, camouflage Christmas ornaments and -- the most mind-blowing of all -- camouflage baby clothes. 

“Want to pick up some camo for the babies?” Jack joked.

Rose snorted. “No, ta.”

She noticed quite a lot of people were wearing shirts and clothing dedicated to a few, specific things she assumed were mascots. There were even entire tents dedicated to them. She asked the Doctor, finally, about these things. 

“Oh! Yes! You see, there are quite a lot of colleges and universities in this area, and nearly all of them have good sports programs, either in football or basketball. There are some quite intense rivalries.”

“Oh, I didn’t know footie was popular here.”

“Well, it is, but mostly among children.”

Jack spoke up. “We’re talking of American football.”

“Ah.” Rose was quiet for a while, then asked about the teams and some other, more specific questions. Like, just what the hell were a “Tarheel” and a “Hokie”? (Apparently, they were a ram and turkey, respectively.)

And why were there entire tents dedicated to green tractors?

“Agriculture is a huge industry here. John Deere is a brand and status symbol in rural areas.”

Rose nodded again, feeling a bit out of her depth but -- as always -- enjoying the alien culture. 

A man walked by with something that smelled divine. It looked like curling bits of cake, topped off with strawberries and powdered sugar. 

“Doctor?”

“Hmm?”

“Are those the cakes you were talking about?”

“Ah! Yes! Funnel cakes.”

“You’ve never had a funnel cake, Rosie?” Jack asked with a note of disbelief. 

“Never have.”

“Well you’re in for a treat. C’mon, let’s get one.”

~*~O~*~

A couple of hours and scads of craft tents later, it had warmed up a bit as they neared the end of the long main street. They were close to the food trucks and music stage, and the Doctor was a bit peckish. He’d taken Smidgen from Rose a little ways back, and she’d taken off her jacket, stuffing it into the Time Lord-y diaper bag. He hadn’t bothered to put Ella back in the wrap. She’d fallen asleep against his chest -- his favorite place for her to be. Ginny was still awake and looking out at the festivities from her perch on Jack’s chest while chewing her fist.

The Doctor rubbed Smidgen’s little back and looked around for a food truck that didn’t have a tremendously long line. Rose said she was thirsty, and it was a bit early for lunch, so the three of them decided on a candy apple and drink instead of a meal.

Rose followed the Doctor to the window of the truck while Jack stayed behind, perusing the apples on display. There were the traditional bright red apples, apples covered in caramel, apples in chocolate, then some with sprinkles. Others were covered with nuts or toffee, some had drizzled white chocolate, some had other types of candy on the outside. Rose looked them over then up at the handwritten menu and stated, “Right, I’ll have that one there,” pointing to one that had marshmallows, and the Doctor chuckled.

“I thought you’d pick that one. Jack would probably like that one, don’t you think?” He raised his hand from Ella’s back to point.

“Yes, I think so.” She grinned at him, then went on, “And I want a tea.”

The Doctor said warningly, “Rose...tea here isn’t what you’re used to. It’s very sweet and --”

“That’s brilliant. I love my tea sweet.”

“You sure?” the Doctor asked, grinning.

“‘Course I’m sure.”

“Alright then.”

Rose took Smidgen and wandered back to where Jack stood with Moppet. The Doctor found her a few minutes later, presented Jack with his apple and drink and gave Rose her ridiculous apple and a paper cup with a straw stuck in the top.

“Doctor,” she said, taking the cup. “This is cold.”

He gave her a knowing look. “So it is.”

“But I wanted tea, not a soda.”

“That _is_ tea.”

“But it’s _cold_.”

The Doctor nodded and tilted his head back, compensating for the fact that the bite of apple he had just taken was bigger than he expected, letting gravity help it fall into his mouth. “Yes,” he mumbled around the overlarge bite. “It is.”

“It’s sweet tea,” Jack volunteered.

She shook her head at him and gave a little shrug, waiting for him to go on. He swallowed his own bite of apple and held it out of Ginny’s reach before he finished his sentence. “Tea in the southern United States is served over ice and almost always very sweet. Most people don’t drink their tea hot here, and they don’t put milk in it, either.” 

The Doctor prepared to take another bite. “But it’s actually quite good. Have some. Go on, then.”

She looked at him, dubious, then took a sip. He nodded at her, raising his eyebrows while he chewed another bite of candy apple as if to say, _See? I told you._

“It is quite good, even if it _is_ odd.”

“It’s not odd, Rosie. It’s alien.” Jack gave her a lopsided smile before taking a swig of his own sweet tea through a straw.

Rose rolled her eyes, the Doctor grinned, and they kept walking.

~*~O~*~

The huge apple turned out to be more than Rose wanted, so she surrendered it to the Doctor around the time they got to the gigantic sand sculpture of a pig. All three of them were quite fascinated by this and inspected it for a few minutes before moving on toward the music at the end of the row.

When they got to the stage, Rose spotted a group of people dancing to a type of music she’d never heard before. It wasn’t unpleasant, just...foreign to her. She looked over to check on Ginny, only to see that she’d fallen asleep. Impulsively, she stroked her daughter’s head, wondering whether the music would wake her up and hoping it wouldn’t. Ginny stirred a little when she felt her mother’s touch, but slept on. Ella had woken up and was nestled in her own wrap on the Doctor. Rose turned back to the stage and took in the scene. 

The people dancing to the unusual music were not doing any sort of coordinated dance that she could tell; there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to their steps for the most part, although one or two of the couples seemed to be in sync with each other. Most of the rest of the dancers seemed to be tap-dancing in regular shoes, moving in a circle, occasionally spinning.

“Brilliant!” Jack proclaimed. “Bluegrass!”

“What on Earth is ‘bluegrass’?”

The Doctor took a huge bite of his apple and talked around it. “It’s a style of music, mostly regional to the Blue Ridge mountains and surrounding areas.”

He took another bite and Rose nodded absently, a smile growing as she watched the dancers and clapping spectators.

“Doctor?”

“Hmm?”

“What are all these people doing?”

“I believe this is called ‘flatfooting.’”

Rose looked around at the dancers and the group of clapping people surrounding them. It struck her: all of the people looked _happy._ They were clapping, singing along (Rose was surprised when she recognized the song, a cover of a rock song her mum used to sing to her like a lullaby called “Sweet Child o’ Mine”), and it all looked so...so _fun_.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” the Doctor said, and Rose nodded again. 

She noted with some surprise that she wasn’t only smiling, she had begun to clap. When she looked down, she realized that her feet were tapping in time to the music. She looked up at Jack, still smiling, and he nodded encouragingly. 

Rose saw the Doctor walk back to where Jack stood on the sidelines, but she didn’t bother to join them. She was dancing, spinning and clapping, her feet flying and tapping, her blonde hair swirling all around her face, smile bright and happy.

~*~O~*~

There were so many vendors, selling so many things. Quite a lot of people made knitted or crocheted things, but they were so interesting! Rose talked the Doctor into trying on a knitted hat that looked like a monkey’s head, and he in turn pulled a cap onto her head that looked like a ladybug, complete with antennae. Jack was treated to one that looked like a frog. They all giggled at each other before moving on.

Rose had taken Ginny, giving Jack’s back a break, and she did end up buying gifts for her mother. She found some lovely scented bath products and a glass vase in two shades of pink. Lots of things caught her eye -- there were so many beautiful things to choose from -- but Rose tried to limit herself to just a couple of items.

The crowd grew thicker as the day wore on, and the Doctor and Rose rarely let go of each other's hand. Jack had wandered off, saying he’d be back soon. 

Rose was surprised when the Doctor left her at a booth, announcing that he would be right back and not to wander off. She tried to question him, but he was gone before she got the chance. 

Rose settled in to chat with the proprietor of the tent, bouncing the baby, and they discussed her craft and babies. She was a seamstress and had sewn purses, bags, and some women’s clothing. Why the Doctor had dropped her off in this tent, she had no idea, but the seamstress was nice, and they chatted easily. 

The Doctor meandered back into the tent a little while later, one hand in his pocket and the other patting the baby, smiling brightly. “Hullo, Rose.” He nodded politely to the seamstress. “Hello.”

“Hey there!” the lady, Jen, said brightly. She nodded to Rose. “This is your fella?”

“Yes, and my other daughter, Ella.”

“Smidgen,” the Doctor corrected, then stepped forward to shake Jen’s hand. “And yes, I’m Rose’s husband. Pleased to meet you. I’m the Doctor.”

“Lordy mercy, listen to that accent. And carrying a baby...” She looked over at Rose. “Better hang on to this one, honey, or one of the local women may drag him off!”

The Doctor grinned broadly, and Rose cut her eyes at him. 

“Did you two ladies have fun?”

Rose nodded and Jen spoke up. “Rose is sweet as pie.”

“We had a lovely time,” Rose confirmed.

“Excellent!” the Doctor rocked back on his heels as if he had made the perfect match, and Rose fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Well, then, Miss Tyler, are you ready to see more of the festival, or would you like to stay and talk for a bit longer?”

“I’m getting quite hungry, actually.”

“Time for barbecue, then!” the Doctor announced. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Jen,” he said with a little bow. “Rose, shall we?” He extended his elbow politely.

Rose wanted to swat him for showing off, but took his proffered arm. “Thank you, Jen!”

“Y’all’re welcome! Have fun!”

~*~O~*~

The Doctor steered Rose to a food truck advertising to be the best pit-cooked barbecue in the state. She perused the whiteboard menu, marveling at all of the ways you could (apparently) be served one dish. Chopped, minced, sliced…on a bun or on a platter...Rose had no idea where to start, and told the Doctor so.

“Shall I order?”

Rose agreed, and the Doctor stepped up to the window of the truck. The cashier behind the window turned around and saw the Doctor, her face lighting in a flirty smile. “Hey there, sugar, what can I get for you?”

The Doctor beamed and Rose poked him in the back. “Right, yes. Two chopped trays, please, hushpuppies, and two Dr Peppers.”

“Oh my word, listen to that accent.” The girl behind the counter gave a little shake of her head with a smile as if to clear her head, then called over her shoulder to the cook. She told the Doctor the total, and he handed her the money. 

The cook stepped up to say something to her, and she turned back to the Doctor. “I’m sorry, sugar, but the cook says that we’re out of chopped. We can chop some up right quick for you, though, if you want…”

“Oh, no, don’t go to any trouble,” the Doctor pooh-poohed in a flirty tone, and Rose rolled her eyes. “We’ll just have whatever you have ready, really. We’re not that fussed. So kind of you to offer, though.”

Rose recognized the slightly glazed look on the girl’s face. She got that look around the Doctor all too often, although currently she was looking daggers at the cashier (who didn’t notice her.)

“You are just ten pounds of charm in a five-pound bag,” she cooed. “And with a baby!”

“Yes, this is my daughter, Ella, and m’wife has Ginny.”

“You have a precious little family,” the cashier told him.

The Doctor beamed again, bouncing on the balls of his feet until Rose poked him in the back again. “Er, right. Thank you.”

The cashier handed them out their food with a wink for the Doctor. “Y’all come back now, ‘round dinnertime!”

“Fat chance,” Rose muttered.

The Doctor preened as they walked towards an area to sit. “D’ya hear that, Rose?” She glared at him, but his huge smile could not be diminished. “Charming, I am. Very charming.”

Rose rolled her eyes. 

“She called me ‘sugar’.”

“Yes, Doctor, I heard her.”

“She told me I’m ten pounds of charm in a five-pound bag.”

Rose rolled her eyes again. “I am _so_ going to kill you.” 

She spotted Jack in the crowd waved to him, and he came over to join them.

~*~O~*~

The Doctor had wanted to get another funnel cake immediately after finishing their barbecue, but Rose had insisted that they hold off. The day was getting a bit warm, and she wanted to let her food settle.

Approaching the town square, they once again heard loud music and saw people dancing. Rose had never seen this dance before, either; it was much more coordinated and organized than what she had seen earlier, although this dance looked fairly simple. Men and women danced together, their feet shuffling in time to the music, and they occasionally spun each other or dipped under each other’s arm. The music sounded a bit old-fashioned, but it was nothing she’d ever heard before. 

“What’s all this, then?” she asked the Doctor.

“This,” the Doctor said with a twinkle in his eye and a quick look at Jack, “is called beach music. It’s regional to the southeastern United States, primarily the North and South Carolina coast.” He cut his eyes at Rose and pressed his lips together, biting back a grin. “And they’re shagging.”

“Doctor!” Rose said, a bit scandalized. “Wait! Seriously?”

“They are,” the Doctor said almost sadly and shaking his head a little, as if he couldn’t believe it himself. “Shagging like mad, right in the town square.” Jack roared laughter.

Rose laughed too, and people turned around to look at them. The Doctor kept going, enjoying the moment. “Look there, Rose. That couple is shagging so enthusiastically that that bloke has broken a sweat.”

She laughed and laughed until her sides hurt and the Doctor joined in, mostly looking proud of himself. When Rose’s laughter died down to intermittent giggles and she was left just wiping her eyes, the Doctor slipped his free arm around her waist. The three watched the couples dancing, spinning, kicking their legs out a bit every now and then. 

Jack leaned over to her, tugging her closer and leaned towards her ear. “So, Rose Tyler...fancy a shag with me?”

Rose burst into laughter again, but the Doctor shot him a dark look, which only made Rose laugh harder. Once she was able, she took Jack’s proffered hand. “We can’t be too vigorous in our shag, Jack, or it’ll disturb Ginny.”

“Oh, hand her here,” the Doctor insisted. “I’ll hold both the babies so you two can shag.” He scowled. “And you’ll never catch me saying _that_ again.”

Once Rose handed over the baby and made sure the Doctor had them both securely, Jack led her out into the crowd of other couples and they began to dance, laughing with each other the whole time.

~*~O~*~

It had been a wonderful day. Rose was surprised, once again, at how right the Doctor had been about the weather: it had started out chilly, but she’d gotten quite warm by the afternoon. Now, though, as they drew nearer to the Tardis and the crowd thinned out, she began to shiver again.

“Cold?” he asked her.

“S’a bit chilly,” she said. “Give me a second, and I’ll grab my coat out of the jiggery-pokery bag…”

“No need,” the Doctor said. He released her hand and removed his jacket, pulling it loose from the wrap and laying it across her shoulders. “Better?” he asked.

Rose took in a deep sniff and relished the smell of Doctor: spicy, woodsy, and timey-wimey. “Perfect.”

She held out her hand to take his and he grabbed it, lacing her fingers through his. “It’s been a wonderful day, Doctor. One of our better detours, I’d say.”

**Author's Note:**

> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlsevSpfpYI) is the song Rose flatfooted to.  
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c7bISLhVl8) bluegrass cover may blow your mind. "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.  
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlVjvTVJhtI) is my favorite bluegrass cover. "Loser" by Beck.  
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9rJ2na9Umg) is what flatfooting looks like.  
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV9pu7Qa4K4) is a popular beach music song. "Ocean Boulevard" by the Band of Oz.  
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdadn1iT_58) is shagging. 
> 
>  
> 
> (And yes, I can shag, although I haven't done it in many years.)


End file.
